The bottom line is clear: Our vital interests in Afghanistan are limited and military victory is not the key to achieving them. On the contrary, waging a lengthy counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan may well do more to aid Taliban recruiting than to dismantle the group, help spread conflict further into Pakistan, unify radical groups that might otherwise be quarreling amongst themselves, threaten the long-term health of the U.S. economy, and prevent the U.S. government from turning its full attention to other pressing problems. -- Afghanistan Study Group

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Reported security incidents
#1: Police spokesman Abdul Manan Rauofi said the convoy attack happened Friday night in Jawzjan province. Rauofi said Taliban militants killed the officers and wounded four in the assault on the patrol in the province's Aqcha District.

#2: In Laghman province, two suspected U.S. drone strikes killed four Taliban fighters, said Sarhadi Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor.

#3: A policeman was martyred following clashes in Nimroz province yesterday. National Security Directorate officials in the province told BNA correspondent, a policeman was martyred, while clashes occurred between NSD personnel and Taliban militants in Khash district, Nimroz province.

#4: 10 Afghan National Army soldiers were martyred following complot of their two colleagues in Badghis province last night. The incident was happened in Bala Murghab district, while two National Army forces with cooperation of a group of Taliban militants attacked on his colleagues’ checkpoint and martyred all of them.